PNW’s academic quality reaffirmed through completed accreditation assurance review

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) earned approval of its 2025 Assurance Review submitted to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the institution’s regional accreditor, verifying the university’s commitment to serving students with high-quality resources and efforts supporting institution-wide improvement.

“We are delighted and proud that through the 2025 Assurance Review for the Higher Learning Commission, Purdue University Northwest has demonstrated our continued mission-driven efforts to meet the needs of our students and our commitment to the public good,” said Marie T. Mora, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “These efforts include providing high-quality academic programs, data-informed institutional resources for effective teaching and learning, and a wide array of academic, extracurricular and professional student support services. This successful outcome is truly a collaborative achievement, as everyone across the institution contributes to our mission regardless of their position.”

These efforts include providing high-quality academic programs, data-informed institutional resources for effective teaching and learning, and a wide array of academic, extracurricular and professional student support services.

Marie T. Mora, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs

PNW’s Assurance Review assessed and demonstrated evidence as a continuation of the HLC’s criteria for accreditation. HLC reviewers provided several glowing commendations for PNW’s institutional resources and effectiveness.

Several of these acknowledgements for PNW included:

• A network of support structures dedicated to working with historically underserved student populations, such as Educational Opportunity Programs and first-generation student initiatives, the PNW Accessibility Center and the office of Veterans Services, as well as related designations as a First Scholars Institution and Hispanic-Serving Institution.
• An extensive range of student-facing resources that support academic success and overall well-being, such as restructured academic advising, the introduction of University College as an academic home for undecided or undeclared students, the PNW Writing and Testing centers, and the PNW Counseling Center.
• A commitment to academic rigor and hands-on transformational learning experiences that cement student learning, such as through state-of-the-art lab spaces like the PNW Design Studio, independent research projects with dedicated faculty members and research symposia like Days of Discovery.
• Enriching extracurricular student experiences tailored to different interests and causes, as well as the office of Student Life’s Co-Curricular Record that helps document achievements enhancing students’ professionalism.
• The collaboration from PNW students, faculty and staff that helped shape the university’s recently completed Excellence Evolving 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, which communicates the institution’s dedication to enhancing students’ achievement, inspiring excellence across all areas and impacting the areas PNW serves.

Institutions, such as PNW, that are on the HLC’s Open Pathway for accreditation prepare assurance reviews during the fourth year of their ten-year accreditation cycles. The review is a comprehensive self-study submitted to the HLC detailing the many actions PNW maintains or improves upon to remain in compliance with expected academic standards and quality assurance.

Fulfillment of the assurance review, as well as the related reaccreditation process, demonstrates PNW’s dedication to consistently meet the needs of today’s college students and its search for areas of improvement across the institution that enhance students’ academic, cocurricular and professional outcomes.

The Higher Learning Commission is a private, nonprofit agency that accredits approximately 1,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. PNW’s next review for accreditation will take place in 2030-31. Accreditation provides employers, licensing boards and other institutions verification of PNW’s quality and serves as a requirement for federal financial aid programs.

For more information about PNW’s accreditation, visit pnw.edu/accreditation.